Scientific studies say there was warming during the Roman Warming 250 BC to 450 AD of two to six degrees and again during the “Medieval Warming 900-1300 AD” of one to two and half degrees in different places.

In contrast the CSIRO in a study for Senator Wong admitted only using figures since 1960 as records prior to that were unreliable.

The Bureau of Meteorology used the same figures to come up with a politically scientific finding that went back to 1948.

This of course missed the drought and heat waves and other weather extremes of 1938-44, the Federation drought with winter freezes and floods and fires.

Floods and droughts, heat waves and freezes have been occurring since biblical times and there were no industries or power station in those eras.

The early history of the Riverina shows that there were regular extremes.

While early settlers kept accurate rainfall records, information on temperature is sketchy.

Early thermometers of mercury with a maximum and minimum tube were often hung on the back verandah or in the peppercorn tree in the back yard.

Once hundred year records of Lake Cargelligo show a one degree drop in mean daily temperature.

Weather watching has always been and is still part of the farmers trade.

Senator Wong is advocating a public forum to convince people of climate change action.

Surely this is a rather trite and unscientific method of proving the need for a carbon tax.

So far the “experts” have been unable to tell farmers which crops, trees and farming methods give carbon credits or debits.

In summation, environmentalism is the new religion, sequestration has not eventuated, Bob “Bubbles” Brown is not a messiah and beware of the Greens.